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American Plaice now verified as Responsibly Harvested

Jan 12, 2017

2017 Issue 1

In December, GMRI added American plaice (or “dabs”) to its list of Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® species. The new verification comes after a thorough assessment by an external review panel consisting of three non-GMRI fisheries scientists: Dr. John Boreman, Dr. Yong Chen, and Dr. Jeremy Collie, as well as GMRI’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Andy Pershing. Dabs join a list of nine other verified responsibly harvested species including Atlantic mackerel, pollock, and spiny dogfish. Read the American Plaice Verification Report here.

GMRI’s Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested brand verifies that seafood comes from the Gulf of Maine region and meets important criteria around responsible harvest. Seafood suppliers licensed to use the label must demonstrate traceability, and buyers look for the brand to confirm that they are supporting this region’s coastal communities. Retailers and institutions use the label on consumer-facing communications at the point of sale. For example, Sodexo – one of the world’s largest food service companies – committed to sourcing only Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested whitefish for the 11 college campuses they serve in Maine by 2020. Some of its campuses, such as the University of New England, have already accomplished this goal. This brand enables differentiation of the Gulf of Maine’s well-managed seafood to help it compete in an import-dominated marketplace.

For more information, contact Kyle Foley at kfoley@gmri.org or 207-228-1670.